Blaine Washington - America's Peace Arch City

Blaine Washington is in the Northwest corner of Washington State situated 110 miles north of Seattle and
about 35 miles
south of Vancouver B.C. right on the
US/Canadian border.

Blaine Wa was established in the mid 19th century as a seaport for the fishing
and logging industries and was once home to one of the world's largest
salmon canneries processing and packing salmon under many brand
names. Today Blaine is a peaceful waterfront community best known
for its Peace Arch Park and border crossing into British
Columbia Canada. Blaine and is the kind of small town Angela Lansbury
might choose to live in, only without all the murders. Blaine is a
quaint, clean and relatively safe city with a low crime rate,
perhaps due in part to the many border and homeland security
personnel living in the city. Of course Blaine does make headlines
from time to time with the
occasional border related incident which tends to make national or
international news.

Peace Arch Portal To Blaine Bargains

Blaine Washington is a popular destination for
Canadian shoppers who "Pop" over the border to fill up their car's
gas tank and stock up on Milk, Cheese, Eggs, and other everyday
household products. Recent parity of
the US/Canadian dollars has resulted in crowds of Canadian weekend
shoppers , but it is more than price that lures Canadians to area shops and
stores. Ask any Canadian why they shop in Blaine, or nearby Bellingham and
they are likely to tell you it is due to the great selection
of products, many of which are not available in Canada and of course there is
no Harmony Tax on U.S. products either which makes shopping in the U.S.
an even greater value for
Canadian shoppers.

Blaine
Washington Peace Arch International Park & Border
Crossing

The Peace Arch Border Crossing into British Columbia is part tourist
attraction and part formal doorway to/from the U.S. and Canada. While not
as prominent as the Brandenburg Gate or the North Korean border crossing
it serves the same purpose.
Blaine's Peace Arch Border Crossing gives you the unique experience and
thrill of wandering over and back across the invisible political line that defines
who you are, and what you can and can't do.

Blaine's Peace Arch International Park is a 40 acre expanse of manicured lawns
contoured with beds of vibrant colorful flowers and dotted with unique and sometimes
perplexing sculptures. One must-see on the American side of the Peace Arch
Park is the Giant Gunnera Manicata plant with its massive 5 foot leaves.
Standing alongside this monster rhubarb plant may remind you of the flesh
eating plant in "The Little Shop Of Horrors" movie/Broadway play.

"What in the name of Sam Hill is that supposed to be?" The star
attraction is the 67 ft high Peace Arch itself, built in 1914. This giant
white monument was championed by famed
Washington millionaire Samuel Hill, whose other projects included the
replica of Stonehenge in Maryhill Washington. While the Sam Hill
euphemism isn't referring to this Samuel Hill there are some people that are
convinced otherwise.

Peace Arch Park
& Majestic Gate

The Peace Arch International Park and border
crossing is home to a large concrete arch monument straddling the border
between the United States and Canada to commemorate peace and
cooperation between our two great nations. Visitors can explore the park's 40+ acres free of
charge and you can walk around on both the Canadian and U.S. sides but you
cannot continue any further into the other country without going through
the proper entry screening--yes they are watching.

The Peace
Arch was completed on Sept. 6, 1921 and features two iron gates in the
open position with the following inscriptions. "May These Gates Never Be
Closed" (However, Just to be
certain the gates are never closed, both gates are actually bolted in the
open position.)

The main arch features a different inscription on each
side.

On the American Side : "Children Of A Common Mother"

On the Canadian Side : "Brethren Dwelling Together In Unity"

Getting
To Blaine Washington

The Peace Arch State Park and Border Crossing is located where the
Northern end of I-5 freeway in Washington meets the Southern end of highway
99 out of British Columbia at the Canadian Douglas Border Crossing. When
traveling north to Blaine take exit #276 just before the border and turn
right/east and follow the signs.

When approaching the city of Blaine north on I-5 you have the choice of
exiting to the truck border crossing or you can simply continue north to the
Peach Arch crossing. The second border crossing was recently expanded to
handle the larger traffic load during the Vancouver Olympics. Today the
border crossing is used primarily by trucks, and high profile vehicles.
Locals call it the Blaine Truck Crossing but it's official name is the
"Pacific Border Crossing" and as you can imagine there are plenty of big
rigs lined up to cross into Canada and it stays busy pretty much 24 hours a
day.

Restricted And Prohibited Items At The Border

To use the Peace Arch Border Crossing you must have a passport or another
form of document that proves your citizenship. Here is a list of some of the items that are
currently restricted or prohibited. Haitian Animal Hide drums have been
linked to cases of anthrax, Dog & Cat fur is prohibited, and Gold from the Sudan is a No-Go.
The basic rule of thumb is, if it dangerous or expensive
don't bring it.

Declare items such as items you intend to sell, items you bought in the
Duty Free Shop, and and be sure to play by the rules and your border
crossing should be smooth and pleasurable and always be respectful and courteous to
the Border Crossing Guards--They don't have to let you through.

Duty
Free Shops

Shop the Duty Free Shops on either the American or Canadian side of the
border and save on fun and vice items like Liquor, Wine, Beer, Cigarettes,
Gifts, Watches, Chocolates, Cosmetics, and Souvenir Items.

As of June 1st,
2012 Canada's duty free allowances have been liberalized. Allowances are
$800 over 48 hours and $200 over 24 hours in the U.S. Canadians
staying in the U.S. more than 48 hours are allowed 200 cigarettes, 200 grams
of manufactured tobacco, 1.5 Litres of wine or 1.75 Litres of liquor or 24
355 ml cans/bottles of beer or ale. Check U.S. or Canadian customs websites
for more information and current allowances.

Things
To Do In Blaine Washington

Blaine is a great family friendly place to spend an
afternoon. Here are just a few ideas.

Stroll along the Marina and waterfront and pose with
the life-sized Orca statues

Go fishing or crabbing on Blaine's FREE city pier

Relax on the waterfront and watch
wealthy people come and go on their sailing boats and motor yachts. Try
waving at them. They'll often wave back.

Enjoy a picnic or BBQ in one of the oceanfront park
shelters and Pose for a photo with Blaine's famous Killer Whale
sculptures.

Feed Blaine's friendly resident seagulls and watch their
amazing areal acrobatics and antics-But watch out for the pooping dive
bombers!

Stroll the downtown waterfront and browse the quaint
shops and galleries

Ride the historic Plover ferry boat built in 1944,
from Drayton Harbor across the bay entrance to Semiamoo (May To
September).

Tour the World Famous Peace Arch Border Crossing Park and experience
the thrill rush of stepping into a foreign country then back again, then
step back over again.

Gas up your car in one of Blaine's friendly
gas-marts and stock up on groceries and everyday items area Grocery
Supermarkets.

Shop the Duty Free stores and save on alcohol,
perfume, cigarettes and more

On your next visit be sure to stop into the Blaine Visitor Center for
information about area events and activities, maps, brochures and other
guides. Also look for savings coupons for Blaine and Bellingham Wa area
businesses, stores, and restaurants. Blaine
Washington Visitor Center728 Peace Portal DriveBlaine, WA
98230Phone (360) 332-4544Toll Free: (800) 624-5555

Blaine WA Grocery Stores

The largest Supermarket/Grocery Store in Blaine is the giant Costcutter
store with a full service bakery, deli, and meat department.

1733 H Street #100. (Phone 360 332-5909) Open Daily 7 a.m. to
Midnight You can often purchase dairy, cheese and other foods often at a
fraction of the cost back in B.C.

There are also a beautiful new Market Grocery Store just a few exits south
in the recently
renovated Birch Bay shopping center. The center is also home to a new Bob's Burger &
Brew restaurant, Jack In The Box.

Dining Out In Blaine

After an afternoon of exploring the Peace Arch border park and shopping,
Blaine is also a nice place for a relaxing lunch or dinner in one of its
many restaurants serving American, Mexican, Thai, And the other favorite fast food
outlets like Burger King and Subway.

The recently remodeled Birch
Bay shopping center on Interstate 5 is more appealing than ever and is a
great place for a casual lunch at Jack-In-The-Box or the food court area
of the Market store or try the new Bob's Burger & Brew, a local
favorite.

James G. Blaine

Blaine Washington is named after U.S. Senator from Maine, James G. Blaine
a Republican who served as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and
twice as secretary of state. Blaine was also a candidate for president in
1884 but lost to Grover Cleveland. In 1858 during the surveying of
surrounding areas for the U.S. Government, there were two small towns both
called Semiahmoo, one on the mainland and the other across the bay where
what is now called Semiahmoo. In 1884 the town that is now modern day Blaine
was named Concord but townspeople were big supporters of James Blaine so
they decided to name the city Blaine.

Blaine Washington has other features of a border town including duty
free shop, convenience stores, and large gas stations popular with Canadian
visitors in search of bargain gas before continuing northward. The continued redevelopment
of Blaine's downtown and the expansion of the Blaine marina have made the
area very popular with retirees and families in search of a quaint small town
atmosphere to raise their children
or to retire. The waterfront is beautiful to look at and it does have some
of the warmest water temperatures in Puget Sound. The Bay is an important migratory stop for numerous bird species.

Remnants
Of Blaine's Past

Looking out over the bay at Blaine's marine park you may notice old posts and pilings
sticking out of the water. These were
once the support posts and pilings for a large waterfront lumber mill that
supplied much of the lumber that rebuilt San Francisco after the great
fire. Next to the lumber mill was a giant fish cannery, one of several
during Blaine's logging and fishing heyday. In 1897 the city's population
peaked to about four times its current size.

The site of the old lumber mill and cannery is now Blaine's popular
waterfront marine park. As you stroll along the beautiful pathway and
surroundings you may find it hard to imagine that this was also once
Blaine's garbage dump and the entire peninsula is a man made landfill. On
occasion major storms washed away portions of the landfill creating a
cleanup mess for Blaine and White Rock residents so eventually the landfill
was closed and the land mass was fortified to prevent further erosion.
Marine drive which extends out the peninsula to the city pier has been
refinished a number of times over the years. When the old Warf area was
filled in they didn't remove the posts and pilings which are now rotting out
below sometimes causing a bumpy roadway surface.

Semiahmoo Resort Blaine Wa

Just across the entrance to Drayton harbor from the Blaine
marina is the resort/golf community of Semiahmoo with its own full service marina, hiking trails and miles of sandy beaches
overlooking beautiful Puget Sound. The Semiahmoo Golf And Country Club
features an Arnold Palmer designed golf course, driving range, as well as
both men's and women's locker rooms with showers. The views of
Mt. Baker along the Semiahmoo spit are spectacular and the exquisite homes
nestled along Semiahmoo's waterfront and golf course are a must-see for
anyone interested in premium northwest properties.

Blaine
Real Estate

Real Estate is popular with
many Canadians due to its proximity to Vancouver and southern British
Columbia and home prices are downright bargain compared to B.C. Real
Estate, especially with the recent parity of the US and Canadian
Dollars. If you are a Canadian interested in investing in Blaine Real
Estate you are not alone. As many as 30% of recent home sales have
been to Canadian buyers. There are several real estate agencies
available to assist you in searching for and purchasing area
properties.

A
New Blaine Emerges

There are a number of exciting developments in the planning stage for
Blaine's downtown area, including new specialty shops, restaurants, and a unique
boardwalk Along a portion of Peace Portal Drive. Once
completed it will offer it's visitors panoramic views of
Drayton Harbor, Puget Sound, and White Rock, B.C. Blaine's
downtown waterfront rests on a small bluff of land offering visitors a
great view the area's spectacular sunsets.

With the completion of
the new boardwalk project, area residents will have a very special place
to shop, dine, or just stroll along the waterfront as the sun sets over
Vancouver Island. Several small condominium complexes have recently sprung
up in the downtown area giving its residents the same beautiful harbor
views and everything Blaine has to offer is either right outside their
doorstep or within easy walking distance. Overall Blaine is a clean,
friendly, and safe town that is proud of its unique geography and its
prominence among U.S./Canadian Border Crossings.

Blaine
Marine Park

Situated on the narrow peninsula
of land protecting Blaine's harbor & marina is the beautiful Blaine Marine Park. This scenic park and greenbelt has a winding
trail that weaves its way around the Orca sculpture park,
outdoor amphitheatre,
and there are several benches and covered
picnic shelters that can be reserved for special events.

Take a peek through
the
telescope for a close-up
view of White Rock B.C. residents going about their
daily lives in their little houses overlooking the bay. Scan the coastline
carefully to get a glimpse of the big "White Rock" sitting on the beach in which the
city was named after. On a clear day you may also see happy Canadians sunning themselves on the
beach and you just might see one of them looking back at you. Blaine's
Marine Park is also a great place to enjoy 4th of July fireworks and a
picnic. Bring the whole family and your flags, and for the best spot you
need to come plenty early because this tends to be a very popular yearly
event drawing both locals and residents from all over Whatcom County.

Fresh
Seafood & Sailboats

The Blaine harbor marina is home to numerous sailboats and motor yachts but it
is also home to a large fleet of commercial fishing boats. Some
individual fishermen sell their fresh catch right off of their
boats-- Assorted Fresh Fish, Salmon, Shrimp, Delicious Dungeness
Crab, you never know what what the catch of the day might
be. Many of these professional fishermen
make regular trips to Alaska to catch fresh salmon and they are happy give
you advice on how to prepare their fresh catch.